Macaroons are not to be confused with macarons. While macarons are meringue sandwich-like cookies made with almond paste, macaroons are fluffy drop cookies made with shredded coconut. They were first recreated by Esther Levy in 1871, when coconut palms became plentiful in Florida.

Steps

Method1

Making Basic Macaroons

1

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and cover your baking sheets with parchment paper. Make sure that the oven rack is placed in the bottom third of your oven.[4] If you have a larger oven with two racks, then place one in the bottom third and one in the upper third.

2

Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer. Keep mixing them until they form soft, white peaks. If you do not have an electric mixer, you can also use a food processor fitted with whisks. Save the egg yolks for another recipe; you won't be using them in this one.

3

Slowly add the sugar then add the vanilla extract and salt. Mix in the sugar until the whites turn stiff and keep their shape. Then, mix in the vanilla and salt until evenly combined.

4

Fold the coconut into the egg white mixture using a mixing spoon. For basic macaroons, use 3 cups (180 grams) of shredded coconut. For lighter, crispier macaroons, use 5 cups (300 grams) of shredded coconut.[5]

Consider toasting the coconut first for extra crisp and flavor. Spread shredded coconut on a baking sheet and toast it in the oven for 5 minutes. Let it cool before adding it to the egg white mixture.[6]

For the ideal macaroon, it is recommended that you use 4¾ cups (285 grams) of shredded coconut.[7]

5

Form the macaroons into small balls and place them 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) apart on the parchment paper.[8] Try to make the balls about 1½ inches (3.81 centimeters) wide. You can form them using your hands (dip them in water first prevent sticking). You can also form them using two tablespoons or a cookie scoop. A small ice cream scoop will also do in a pinch.

If you can't fit all of the macaroons on the baking sheet, start filling up another one. If you don't have another baking sheet, or enough room in the oven, set the extra macaroons aside. You'll bake them in a second batch.

6

Bake the macaroons for 15 to 20 minutes. Place the baking sheet into the oven, and bake the macaroons until they turn golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

If you are using both the upper and bottom racks at the same time, rotate the baking sheets halfway through the baking time. After about 10 minutes, move the bottom sheet to the upper rack, and the upper sheet to the bottom rack.[9]

7

Let the macaroons cool. Once the macaroons finish baking, take the baking sheet out of the oven, and let the macaroons cool for 5 minutes. After that, transfer them to a baking sheet so that they can finish cooling.[10]

If you have a smaller oven with only one baking rack, you can start baking your second batch of macaroons.

8

Serve the macaroons, or dip them in melted chocolate first. Macaroons are often dipped in chocolate, but they also taste great plain! To learn how to make the chocolate dip, click here. Just make sure that the macaroons have finished cooling off first!

Method2

Making Egg-Free Macaroons

1

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and cover the baking sheets with parchment paper. Make sure that the baking rack is placed in the bottom third of the oven. If you have two baking racks, place one in the bottom third of the oven and one in the upper third..

2

Combine the flour, coconut, and salt. Place the flour, coconut, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and stir them together with a mixing spoon until they are evenly combined. To make your macaroons extra crispy, consider toasting the coconut on a baking sheet in the oven for 5 minutes. Let it cool before adding it to the flour, however!

3

In a separate bowl, stir together the condensed milk and vanilla extract. Keep stirring until everything is evenly combined. For extra flavor, add 1 teaspoon of almond extract.[11] You don't need any extra sugar for this recipe because the sweetened condensed milk already containers all the sugar you need.

4

Fold the condensed milk mixture into the coconut mixture. Slowly pour the condensed milk mixture into the coconut mixture. Stir it with a large mixing spoon or spatula until it is evenly combined.

5

Scoop the mixture onto the baking sheet in little pounds. You can use two tablespoons to do this or even a small ice cream scoop. They should be about 1½ inches (3.81 centimeters) wide. These macaroons don't spread like other ones, so you can place them closer together than you normally would.

If you don't have enough room on your baking sheet, start filling up another one. If you don't have another one, or enough space in your oven, set the remaining mixture aside and cover it with a damp towel.

6

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. The macaroons are done when they start to turn golden.[12] If you are using two racks in the oven, switch the baking sheets half-way through the baking time. At 6 or 7 minutes, move the top backing sheet to the bottom rack, and the bottom baking sheet to the top rack. This will allow the macaroons to bake more evenly.

If you have any leftover macaroon mixture, you can start forming it into more little mounds.

7

Let the macaroons cool. Once the macaroons have finished baking, take them out of the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. After that, you can transfer them to a wire cooling rack so that they can finish cooling off.

If you have any leftover macaroon mixture, you can start baking it now while the finished macaroons cool off.

8

Serve the macaroons. You can also dip them in chocolate. To learn how to do that, click here. Just make sure that they have finished cooling first.

Method3

Decorating the Macaroons

1

Set up a double-boiler. Fill a large saucepan with 1 to 2 inches (2.54 to 5.08 centimeters) of water. Place a heat safe bowl (preferably glass) on top of the saucepan. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the surface of the water.

2

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. You will be placing the finishing macaroons on this, and using it to transfer them to the fridge.

3

Add the chocolate into the bowl. You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but it would be better if you used chopped, high-quality chocolate, however.[13]

4

Melt the chocolate over low heat, stirring often. Keep stirring until the chocolate is melted and smooth. There should be no lumps, chunks, or clumps. Don't let the chocolate burn.

5

Dip the bottoms of a macaroon in the chocolate. Let any excess chocolate drip off before placing the macaroon onto the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining macaroons.

6

Consider drizzling any leftover chocolate on top of the macaroons. If you have lots of leftover chocolate, you can scoop it up with a spoon, and drizzle it over the macaroons for nice touch.[14]

7

Leave the macaroons in the fridge for 10 minutes. This will allow the chocolate to harden and set.[15]

Community Q&A

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Tips

If the macaroons are browning too quickly in the oven, then lower the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C).

Store any leftover macaroons in an airtight container. They will last at room temperature for 1 week, and for 2 weeks in the fridge.

You can form the macaroons using two tablespoons, a cookie scoop, or even a small ice cream scoop. You can also wet your hands, and form them into small balls that way.

Add 1/2 cup of sprinkles to the macaroon mixture before rolling it into balls and baking it. This is great for kids[16]

Push an almond on top of each macaroon before baking, then drizzle melted chocolate on top after baking and cooling.[17]

Add a handful of dried cranberries into the macaroon mixture before rolling it into balls and baking it. Drizzle melted white chocolate over the macaroons after they have finished baking and cooling.[18]

To prevent your macaroons from burning, smooth down any bits of coconut that are sticking up before baking. Wet your fingers before doing so to prevent sticking.[19]